Behind the Mantle of God
by softandhappy
Summary: To the followers of Naga, their divine deity is a benevolent force that safeguards them with her blessings. To the devout Grimleal, their fell god is the chaotic might that will return everything to despair. Unfortunately for them, both beings are anything BUT that. An entirely self-indulgent fic of chapters dedicated to "Naga Grima happy fun times."
1. Raspberry Shortbread Biscuit

_First, the fires rage on to sear everything in sight. Anguished yells echoing throughout the camp would pierce even the most stoic of hearts, driving them to insanity. An odor of smoke emanating from the charred remains of those who once lived there would permeate the air. Its dense, suffocating clouds of ash would then choke the survivors with every desperate breath they take in._

_And as the pathetic fools slowly suffer in the final minutes of their life, they will think to themselves, "What did we do to deserve this?" They will carry their regrets into their graves, all their past sins serving as the chains to drag them down into an infernal hellscape. In the midst of all this chaos and destruction, a single child will watch on, eyes wide with fear as he observes the horror that befell those he once knew. And he will carry a deeply rooted anger, swearing to the gods who forsook him that he would one day claim vengeance for their tainted souls._

"At least," Grima complains, setting his tea down on his plate, "that's how it WOULD go if you _just let me handle it!_"

Naga reaches over the table and slaps his wrist. "That would be very bad and I would never allow you to do such a thing."

"But think about it! Those wretched brigands would be extinguished from the world, then the nearby village wouldn't have to suffer by their hands anymore. AND, just to balance it out, I would allow one child to survive."

He reaches out for a baked lemon bar only to have his hand swatted away by Naga.

The Fell Dragon glares at her. "You're just jealous that my way is more efficient."

She sighs. "As the one who watches over this world, it is my responsibility to represent all lives, whether pure or not. Those brigands deserve chances to turn towards redemption, or at least, they should be allowed to spend their lives attaining redemption. It is not our place to determine their fates, but rather, allow other humans the right to guide the fates of others."

Grima scoffs. "So that's your reasoning for helping the Shepherds defeat me? I'm irredeemable and deserve to be extinguished from this world?"

"I did not say such a thing, and you know that I would never say such a thing."

He crosses his arms and legs and turns his head away in disbelief. The Divine Dragon sighs, reaches for a raspberry shortbread biscuit, then offers it to Grima. He turns his head away further. Naga gets up from her seat. She positions herself behind him and leans her head onto his shoulder. Her arms extend around his neck and, while smiling, she pokes his cheek with one hand while poking his mouth with the biscuit itself in her other hand.

"I know you want it," she cooed, "is it not your favorite?"

Determined not to give her the satisfaction, he puffs his cheeks up and closes his eyes.

"Very well then, I suppose I will have to eat it myself…"

Grima's head perks up.

"Oh! It also seems to be the last one. How fortunate I am."

Grima begins to twitch.

"That is unless, someone other than I would prefer to eat it?"

Grima tightens his grip on his arms. He can barely hold himself back at her playful taunting, but he knew that if he took her bait, she would win. _And he couldn't possibly allow such a thing to happen-_

"Although I don't believe there to be anyone else who would wish for such a thing. Oh well," she laments while raising the shortbread to her mouth, "I will simply-"

Just as her teeth would bite down on the delectable treat, a hand swiftly reaches out and pulls her arm away, successfully causing her to miss by a few inches. Naga slowly turns to Grima, a sly smile forming on her face. She sees him avoiding her gaze and keeping his head down to hide the red flush of his cheeks.

"Oh, Grima? Whatever is the matter?"

"..."

"Would YOU like to eat this treat?"

"..."

"Why, just earlier, you seemed to refuse it. Are you saying that you actually desire it?"

Grima silently nods.

"You should have simply said so in the first place! Here, say 'ah'..."

Naga giggles as he hesitantly opens his mouth. She gingerly places the treat inside and patiently watches as he eats it.

What will they do the next day? And the day after that? Will they be drinking tea with one another in a beautiful field of flowers like today, or will they travel high beyond the clouds to watch the earth turn below them?

For the longest time, Naga had been revered as an almighty being, a God who could achieve anything they attempt to to. But in truth, she was only a dragon. A dragon who managed to survive long enough to be revered as almighty. A dragon who was once willing to throw away her strength so that she could survive. A dragon who was forced to watch the rest of her tribe slip into insanity because they were too prideful to lower themselves onto the same tier of a human. Unfortunately her struggles didn't end there. She had to experience fighting against dragons belonging to the other tribes, and eventually had to seal an entire tribe because they had degenerated so far. For Naga, it had been years of loneliness and isolation spent only in watching over the humans who continued to live on.

Now she has someone by her side. Someone who had fallen so deep into their own ruination that they had become just as lost as she once felt. Perhaps she's being selfish, indulging in her own desires. No, she knows full well that she is being selfish.

Naga feels a finger poke her forehead.

"Hey. You've had your eyes closed for the past couple of minutes. What are you thinking about?" Grima asks.

"Mmm… Does it seem like I am contemplating?"

The giggling goddess pushes his cheek against hers before unlatching herself from him. She strolls away from the table to look at the flowers as he tilts his head in confusion.

If she was in fact indulging in her own selfishness, then she was thankful to have someone who was bored enough to entertain her. She was thankful to have Grima by her side.

At least, she has him from now until the eventual end of their lives.

"I can tell, you know," Grima says while holding up his teacup, "you're thinking too hard about things. And I think I have an idea about what's going on in that head of yours."

He gently waves his cup to the side, gesturing her empty seat at the table. "Neither of us will be going anywhere for a long while. Go on and do whatever it is a 'God' does, I'll still be here waiting for you when you're done."

Without as much as turning to face him, the Divine Dragon smiles. "Is that your promise?" she asks in a hushed voice, her words carried away by the wind itself.

"What was that?" he asks.

"Nothing. Think of it no longer," she replies. And as Naga departs, leaving him alone with a mountain of sweets piled upon his plate, Grima sips his tea and smiles.

"It's a promise," he quietly answers.


	2. Butterfly Cupcake

_Mommy… Daddy… I'm sorry… I'm sorry!_

The young girl buries her face into the arms of her lifeless parents. What were once shimmering, bright eyes that gazed upon her with love now held nothing but a lackluster gleam which reflected no sign of the life that was once there. Her tears dampen their clothes, and her screams of agony fill the night sky. Yet despite the blood curdling shrieks, the forest stays still. The world itself was letting her know that it didn't care for her. All it cared for was that she fulfilled her role. As she mourns the death of her parents, she hesitantly takes a look at her bloodied hands. The grotesque way the blood splatter looks on her palms makes her panic further, and she lets out a howling screech.

They died by her hand. All because they had to die.

But she didn't want this. She never wanted this. If becoming the leader of her tribe meant she would have to shed aside all that she loved, then she would never have taken that first step forward. She desperately wanted to go back to the boring life she had, because it meant she still had a family who would love her, and friends who would play with her.

Now… she was alone. She IS alone. She would spend the rest of her life in solitude just to become something she only now realizes she never wanted to be.

Two elders clad in heavy robes forcefully pull her away. They angrily bark words at her, but their voices drown out as she flails and screams for her parents.

_I don't want this! I don't want this!_

"Too bad," a voice loudly echoes out, "You chose this. Now you have to take responsibility for it."

Suddenly, a black inferno engulfs the two elders. Their howls of pain escape for only a brief moment before the fires fade, leaving nothing but a few charred remains. The young girl looks up in horror to see a hooded man clad in purple clothes. His face was hidden underneath the enigmatic robe, but something about him seemed eerie and frightening. Every fiber of her body yelled out that this was someone to fear. Someone who embodied that very idea of "fear" itself. But at the same time…

He seemed sad.

"U-Uhm, wh-who are y-you?"

Her body trembled in fear and awe. It didn't help that she hadn't recovered from the earlier shock. The man looks down at her, silent and still. He surveys the area, then sees the corpses of her parents and approaches them. The girl panics as he gets closer to them, causing her to hurriedly crawl over to them faster than he could walk. She shields them from him, her arms outstretched wide.

"... What are you doing?"

"St-Stay back!" she shouts.

"They're already dead," he says with a lack of concern.

"E-Even so, you can't come close!"

"In fact, YOU'RE the one who killed them. I can sense that the blood staining your clothes is theirs."

"... I… I-I didn't…"

Her arms drop back down to her side, the despair flooding over her heart like a wave of anguish. The man kneels down to see her face. A defeated expression displayed by such glassy eyes. It made his heart ache.

"What's your name?" he asks while cupping her chin in his palm. She looks up to him as the tears began to fall once more.

"N… Niti."

"Hmm. You Divine Vessels all have such similar names. Oh, wait," he mumbles to himself, "is it racist to say that?"

He releases his hold on her chin before picking her up into his arms. Niti gasps as she's lifted into the air.

"What are you-"

"Take one more look at them. Make it your very last," he sternly orders her. "If you allow this to wander in your mind for the rest of your life, you will never complete your duty, and their deaths would have been for nothing. You will not allow that to happen, right?"

Niti looks up into his eyes. They glow with a solemn shade of red.

"... Right."

Despite both hesitation and fear desperately holding her back, Niti forces herself to look at her parents. The shock that first came when she killed them immediately returns, nearly driving her over the edge of insanity. No longer able to take more, Niti closes her eyes. She could feel her mind wasting away yet again, until suddenly she felt a hand gently cup her face once more. Niti looks up to the man, his eyes locking with hers. Not a single word was uttered between them, yet through his eyes she was able to feel what he felt. _Everything was okay, and everything will be okay. Do not be afraid of yourself, for this is the path you now walk._

Niti opens her eyes once more. Now that the despair, sorrow, and rage had disappeared, she saw the smiles left on her parent's faces. They truly loved her up to the very end, even as their daughter took their lives away.

"Have you gotten a good look?" the man asks her. Niti turns back to him and presses her face against his chest. He could feel her tears dampening his clothes, but he didn't mind.

"Mister," the girl softly whispers, "who are you?"

"A lost man who knows all too well of the fates that await those who carry the blood of Naga like you."

He started walking away with her still in his arms. Instinctively, her hand reaches out to touch his. "... Dread, despair, ruin… Why…?"

"Tch, of course you could feel that," he mutters to himself, "all the other ones did too."

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to offend you."

He raises an eyebrow in scrutiny, then sighs. "It's fine," he says while looking ahead once more, "I shouldn't be questioning the one who will inherit the name of Naga."

Niti's face gave way to a sorrowful expression. "I was right," she cries out, "you only came to make me into that Goddess just to lead the tribe, like everyone else wanted!"

"Not really," he quickly refutes, "but you'll end up being a vessel whether you want it or not."

"I don't want it!" she yells, "Papa told me that if I try hard enough, I can achieve anything. So that means if I try hard enough, I won't be Naga's vessel!"

"Tough luck kid. Just by being the direct descendant, you've already been locked into that fate."

"I…! I…"

_I wish I was never born… _

The two emerge from the dense forest into a vast and beautiful clearing. Flowers decorate the plains that seemed to stretch out to eternity. Stars glistening in the night sky flicker in and out while the luminous moon watches over the earth. Niti couldn't stop herself from crying once more. Despite being greeted by this wondrous view… Rather, it was the view itself causing her to cry.

"I don't deserve to be alive for this moment,"she says to herself.

"I hope you realize that's not true," the man says to her. She quickly turns to him once more as he kneels to drop her onto the grass.

"If you hadn't been born, your mother and father would have never had such a wonderful daughter to care for."

"But I'm not even their real daughter!" she argues, "I'm Naga's daughter… They only took care of me because they were tasked to do so. I was nothing more than just some kind of, of-"

"Now, now," he interrupts while cupping her cheek in his hand, "you know that to be false. Didn't they give you their love? Didn't they smile for you no matter what? Young Niti, your parents truly loved you. Whether you were their real child or not, they would have loved you all the same."

"Mister…"

"Stand tall, Niti. You will ascend to the name of Naga, and you will lead your fellow manaketes. It will be a lonely life at first, and maybe you'll never stop blaming yourself for everything. But…"

The breeze picks up in speed and pulls his hood away. Niti blushes when she sees his face shimmering in the moonlight. His platinum blonde hair and fair skin made the man look majestic and regal, as if he were the paragon of serenity itself.

"Someday, you will no longer be alone. I promise you that."

And as suddenly as he had appeared, the man disappears, leaving Niti alone. She pushes herself up from the ground and stands tall. His words resound in her mind, and it makes her heart feel lighter.

The vessel of the divine dragon walks forward into the field carrying the hopes of her tribe with her. She walks towards her future with hopes of meeting that man once more, all so that she could thank him.

* * *

_It was only a dream._

Naga slowly opens her eyes as the sunlight seeping through the window tickles her face. When she awakens, she takes a look at the room she found herself in. _Strange_, she thinks to herself, _was I in a room before falling asleep? I could have sworn I returned to Grima in that field, then…_

"Finally awake, are you?"

The dragon turns to the voice behind her. Grima sat at a table near the bed, a tea cup held firmly in one hand and a cupcake held in the other. On the table itself was a platter of adorable cupcakes decorated by a sugar-cookie in the shape of a butterfly. Naga is pleasantly surprised to see such cute treats served by Grima… and then, a second cup of tea placed across him caught her eye. Its aroma drifts into Naga's vicinity. She smells the air, noting the mild, herbaceous scent emanating from the cup.

"Well, are you gonna get out of bed or what?" he asks her, a hint of worry hidden in his voice. Naga smiles at him. She places her elbows on the bed and props her head up by resting her chin against her hands.

"I request you allow me to enjoy this sight first."

"J-Just join me at the table, or else I'm eating all these cupcakes AND drinking your tea myself!"

She giggles as she gets off of the bed. Grima must have been the one to bring her here and even prepare the snacks for her.

"You truly are much more than you present yourself as," she teases. His cheeks flare as he nearly chokes on his tea.

"How dare you claim such a thing?! I-I am the wings of despair, the breath of ruin! I am Grima, and I demand that you-"

"Wherever did you find such tiny, cute cookies to serve as toppings for these cupcakes?"

"Hah! Foolish wench, clearly you underestimate my power! Being the almighty being I am, _naturally_ I baked them myself!"

Her sly smile made Grima realize what she just did. "Damn you!" he shouts in embarrassment while slamming his fist against the table, "I should have never wasted the effort to please you…"

Naga reaches across to hold his hand in her own. Slowly, she interweaves her fingers into his. "I thank you, my friend. Your kindness is not lost upon my heart."

"... Of course," he mutters under his breath.

The two dragons drink from their cups and relish this peaceful moment with one another. To think that just earlier she was reliving the sad memories of a prior vessel only to wake up to this wonderful scene… She sighs. This wasn't the first time it had happened. She can recall many a time when the memories of previous vessels just appear out of nowhere, and every single one of them causes her pain. Carrying the mantle of "Naga" was not an easy destiny. People now may revere her as a God and future vessels will no longer have to adhere to the old rituals, but she still disliked the "role of Naga" as a whole.

To live as the very name meant to doom yourself to a life of loneliness. That girl, Niti, was one of the few who suffered most as a result. Detached from humanity and the rest of the world, detached even by the manaketes she herself would be leading. A pitiful life.

There will be a day where humanity would no longer have to rely on "Naga." When that day comes, would she be allowed to die and disappear from this world?

Grima plays with his food by snapping the wing off of the cookie. As he nibbles on the smaller piece, Naga stares at him while sipping her tea. His face reminded him of the man who appeared in the dream.

_Hmm… actually, who WAS that man? I do not recall anyone coming for her at the time._

"What are _you_ staring at?" Grima asks, taking her out of her trance. She smiles.

"Why, just a thick headed child who is never honest with his feelings."

He nearly chokes on his tea as she laughs at his dismay. "Tch! Never again will I bother soothing your nightmares…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Ugh, damn you! I'm going to go see what Robin is up to. At least SHE'LL give me the respect I deserve!"

"You do know she will just… What is the phrase the humans use? 'Rag on you'?"

"Shut up, I know she will! Agh, whatever!"

The Fell Dragon storms out of the room, and as he does, the entire building dissipates away. The magic had just been dispelled. Now Naga finds herself alone in that field underneath the moon once more. She stood from her chair while setting down her empty cup, but as she prepared to make the table disappear, she notices a glowing book underneath the chair Grima sat on. Why didn't it vanish when he had left?

Her curiosity got the better of her, causing her to pick it up to examine it. The letters on the spine were faded and barely legible, but the symbol on the cover was one she recognizes all too well. The Brand of the Defiled.

It was a copy of "Grima's Truth."

Naga giggles once more. Her face starts to feel numb from smiling for so long, but she couldn't stop herself from continuing to smile. "So, the man in that dream… it was you."

She shakes her head and sighs. "It seems I now have to lecture you on invading the dreams of others."

By the time the sun would rise, no one would be there. The only things left among the flowers was the worn copy of Grima's Truth and a single Butterfly Cupcake.

* * *

**The reception on the first chapter has been so wonderful! Thank you all for your support.**

**This dream about "Niti" isn't real in-universe canon, I just thought it'd be fun to explore the idea of Naga's past vessels.**

**_**Want to make new friends to share fanfics with and enjoy writing together? Check out the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at /9XG3U7a**_**


	3. Salisbury Steak

"I was an orphan, abandoned by my parents without ever knowing why, and I will probably die that way without knowing why. For years I had to fend for myself in the streets of the capitol, picking off scraps of food thrown to the side by those more fortunate than I, and sleeping in filthy alleyways devoid of any warmth throughout the night. Had I continued living that life any longer, perhaps I would have lost my sanity and never have looked at life the way I do now. That is why I am forever indebted to the clergy, to the church of Naga! The kind priests saved me from my life of poverty, and through Naga's guidance, I've become a priest-in-training so that I may save others like I had been!"

The young man kneels in front of the altar, his words resounding within the hearts of those in the aisle pews. Libra smiles as he blesses the earnest man, successfully instigating a new priest into the clergy. As the audience gleefully rise from their seats, the other clerics project a wondrous ray of light that bathes all those present. It became a momentous occasion for the people there, and a moment that none of them would ever soon forget.

Save for one yawning dragon accompanied by the divine "God" of this faith.

Grima stares out a window from his seat and looks to see the position of the sun. _I've been here since that damn ball of flame had risen from the far east_, he complains to himself, _why did this celebration take so long that I can now see the sun through a window looking WEST?!_

Naga pinches his arm gently. "I know what you are thinking," she whispers to him, "but you were the one who promised to accompany me throughout the day, were you not?"

"I told you that I wanted to do something _fun_. THIS isn't _fun._"

"... It is fun for me…"

Grima lets out a frustrated sigh. "I know, I know. You don't see me leaving, now do you?"

The goddess smiles. "I do not! So please stay with me here until the ceremony is over."

"Yeah, whatever. That's the plan."

The fell dragon has nothing against this religion, nor does he actually despise it like the Grimleal might. He has learned to appreciate the idea of people finding themselves in devotion to a higher being because it has a chance to lead an individual towards true change. Granted, multiple facets in life can cause the same result. But faith, whether religious or not, is a very powerful tool of change. For his Grimleal, it's always been something that made them believe that they DID deserve to live. Especially during the pain and suffering they had to endure as a result of the first Exalt's actions.

So he understands how important this is to both Naga and the rest of the people assembled here today.

What he didn't understand is _WHY THIS CEREMONY TAKES SO LONG!_

Naga excitedly claps. "Does he not seem so happy? Despite living a dire life of strife, he has managed to find a light to live by. A miraculous moment to be sure!"

_A miracle, is it?_

A man who originated as a street rat abandoned by the very people who gave him life becoming a blessed young adult with people who care for him. Sure, that sounded like a miracle.

Yet Grima knew that even miracles were fickle. After all, many people hardly even believe that it is a miracle to live. But that didn't matter to him, the being known as the Fell Dragon.

Or rather, he believes that he lacks the right to care about such things. How could he, after all he himself had committed?

Naga clasps his hand in hers. Her smile doesn't let up as she continues to patiently watch on.

He sighs to himself. _Well, she's happy. I can sense that. So in the end, it's worth it._

Grima takes one more look at the crowd of humans surrounding the feeble looking priest. The foolish vermin couldn't even recognize that their beloved Goddess was sitting right next to them. To think that even when she loves them and adores them, she doesn't allow herself to be seen. It's always confused him. Why shun away those who follow you so earnestly?

Then again, considering the relatively questionable history of all "Nagas" before her, it was probably best to leave things like this. It isn't like "Naga" is a being of benevolence. "Naga" was just someone whom the humans decided to worship like a God. It isn't in "Naga's" place to interfere, just like she had told him a few days ago. Only in times of true strife when the peace needs to be kept that she'll act. And even then…

Peace is a strange concept. Grima never tried to make sense of it, and he probably never will.

Eventually, the sun slowly descends over the distance, painting the sky in a golden hue. Now the two dragons were alone together in the empty church. Naga stands up from her seat, turns to Grima, and bows her head.

"I apologize."

"... What?"

"I apologize for boring you today. I desired to see the humans, but I realize that we had the choice to oversee something more suited to your tastes. So for that, I-"

"Ah, shut up already."

Grima stands up from his seat. He stretches his arms and his back right before he turns to her with a smile.

"No need to apologize for the things you like. And there's no need to conform to my preferences."

Her face lights up. Truly, he was more than the so-called "Wings of Ruin" he calls himself.

"We still have plenty of time, no? This time, you may choose our activity to end the day," she says to him. Grima's head perks up at the idea. He takes a moment to ponder to himself, allowing the thoughts to pass by his head.

"... The last time I tried to visit my vessel, I was greeted at the gates by that bothersome princess who thought it humorous to shoot the Falchion at me _with a bow_. Perhaps if I bring you with me this time, she will have no choice but to stand down!"

With a malicious chuckle, he rubbed his hands together. "Then I can finally, _finally_ achieve my objective…"

Naga simply smiles and doesn't ask about his intentions. She agrees with a nod of affirmation, and the two set off towards Ylisstol.

* * *

… _He's here. I sense him!_

Robin abruptly gets up from her seat, slamming her utensils down and making the table slightly rumble. She unlatches the tome on her waist and dashes out of the dining hall. Lucina is startled by her mother's sudden movements while Chrom lets out a heavy, disappointed sigh. "Here we go again," he mutters to himself as the little princess tilts her head in confusion. Her exhausted father gets up from his seat and walks over to her. He lifts her out of the seat and cradles her in her arms. "Perhaps we should get you to bed now."

"B-But daddy, I haven't finished my dinner yet!" she argues.

"Yeah, I know, but-"

"He's coming!" Robin shouts from the foyer, her voice echoing through the halls.

"Oh. Nevermind, it's too late."

As Chrom sets his daughter back down in her seat, a loud explosion shakes the castle walls. Lucina yelps in surprise as Chrom lets out another sigh. This was the first time that they were unprepared for this to happen. Usually they were always given a sign of notice beforehand when days like these would come, but there are always exceptions. Today was that exception.

While Lucina panics out of confusion regarding the explosion, Chrom dejectedly sits back down at his side of the table and began eating his food once more. In the next few minutes, more explosions occur, until suddenly a hooded man comes flying into the dining hall from the hallway. His body slams onto the table, tumbling and sliding across the length of the table itself. He barely avoids Lucina's plate through sheer luck and awkwardly lands in front of Chrom, who tepidly chews on his food. The Exalt looks up at his intrusive guest and tries to suppress a smile.

"Heeeeeeeyy Chrom! Why didn't you invite me for dinner?"

"Obviously we didn't want you here, Grima."

"Aww, you don't mean that! I mean, I know you absolutely do, but you don't have to reaaally mean it."

Chrom scoffs, but his expression quickly gave way to an earnest smile. The Exalt slices out a small chunk of his food, then stabs it with his fork. "Would you like a bite?" he offers as he holds his hand out, "Salisbury Steak topped with a 'zesty fruit gravy', or so Robin told me."

"Oh Chrom, you're so sweet! Hand feeding me yourself. If only your wife was as kind as you."

The Fell Dragon happily bites down on the steak and slowly savors the morsel. He straightens himself out on the table and stands up. As he stretches his arms, his eyes fall onto Lucina, and his face immediately beams.

"... It's you!" he enthusiastically yells out.

Lucina retracts within her own seat as he approaches her. Out of fear, she closes her eyes and prepared herself for the worst… Until he places his hand on her head and gently strokes her hair.

"This is the first time I've been able to talk to you. You look so adorable in that dress," he gently says to her, "Did your mother pick that out for you?"

She quietly nods. Despite how scary the stranger seemed at first, Lucina calms down the moment she looks into his sparkling eyes. Grima smiles warmly when he sees her cheeks flush.

"What a wonderful day. I finally got to meet you and talk to you," he playfully tells her.

This was his goal all along. To see the young Lucina of this timeline. A Lucina who didn't suffer through the despair that the ruined future would bring her. A Lucina whose mother and father didn't leave her alone throughout that pain. A Lucina who could live the life that she was meant to have.

A Lucina who Grima didn't hurt.

The Fell Dragon that lives now is nothing like his past and his future. The Fell Dragon that lives now is one that seeks to defy fate, much like his avatar has done herself. And the first step to atoning for the sins of his past and future started here.

Here, where he could care and help nurture a life of the next generation.

"You may call me Grima."

"Grima…? Uncle Grima?"

"Unlce?! You little-!"

He lifts her out of her seat into his arms, then cuddles his cheek against hers, causing the girl to smile and laugh. "You little ball of sunlight! Ahh, I can't believe that crazy woman gave birth to you. Although, it makes a lot of sense since your older self pretty much inherits her insanity."

Chrom couldn't help but enjoy the sight. Naturally, he was anxious and hesitant with allowing the beast who would kill him in the future near his daughter. However, he was the stubborn type of man who believes in the possibilities, who truly believes that "anything can change." While Robin might not be as lenient, Chrom certainly was. During the years that have passed since the end of their battle with Grima, he has seen that the dragon is trying to change. And he accepts it.

Before he could say anything to him though, a hand grabs his shoulder. He turns around and nearly falls out of his seat when he sees Naga in all her luminous grace standing right next to him.

"Grima?" she calls out, "Unfortunately, we no longer have time to waste here. As we speak, two individuals are slowly approaching. One with tome in hand and the other with Falchion… notched to a tight string."

"Gah, they just HAD to get in my way!"

Grima quickly lowers Lucina back into her seat. He picks up her fork, slices out another piece of the steak and feeds it to her, leaving the fork in her mouth. As she chews, Grima uses his powers to fly up to the sky.

"Hey Chrom!" he yells to the prince, "You didn't get the last hole in the roof fixed yet, did you?"

"No, not yet," he yells back, "Look to your left!"

"Ah, thank you dear brother-in-law!"

With a wide smile, he waves goodbye to the little Lucina. "I'll come back for you again, I promise!"

Naga swiftly approaches little Lucina and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Take care, little one. We shall meet again when you have grown into a fine adult, I am sure of it."

She soon catches up to Grima in the sky. As the two make their escape, a beam of lightning fires from within the castle, followed by the Parallel Falchion cutting through the air.

* * *

**This chapter is a little different compared to the last two, being that it's a little less focused on Naga and Grima. However, I thought that this would be an okay moment to include snippets surrounding the universe that this fic takes place in. Seeing as the focus is simply just "Naga Grima happy fun times" however, I know that world-building isn't necessarily an important concern here. So please, simply enjoy my self-indulgent thoughts!**

**As always, thank you for the support.**

****_**Want to make new friends to share fanfics with and enjoy writing together? Check out the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at /9XG3U7a**_****


	4. Blueberry Pancakes

… First, the fires rage on to sear everything in sight.

The anguished yells echoing throughout the camp could pierce even the most stoic of hearts, driving them to insanity. An odor of smoke emanating from the charred remains of those who once lived there now permeates the air. Its dense, suffocating clouds of ash could choke any survivor with even the slightest of breaths they take in.

_It was horrible._

And as the unfortunate souls slowly suffer in the final minutes of their life, they are surely thinking to themselves, "What did we do to deserve this?" When they die, they will carry their regrets into their graves, all their past sins serving as the chains to drag them down into an infernal hellscape. In the midst of all this chaos and destruction, a single child watches on, eyes wide with fear as she observes the horror that befell those she once knew. This trauma will fester inside her like a malignant sore spreading throughout the body. She will carry a deeply rooted anger, swearing to the gods who forsook her that she would one day claim vengeance for their tainted souls.

Grima stands there, watching as the ashes of bodies linger in the air around him. He lifts his collar to his face in an attempt to block the contaminated air from entering his lungs.

_Ugh… damn me,_ he thinks to himself, _I've seen devastation like this before. I've __**inflicted**__ it firsthand. So why is it that when I stand face to face with it once more, the very pit of my stomach churns in disgust? I lack the right to feel such things._

He had posed this exact scenario to Naga before, but he had hardly imagined that such horror would come to fruition. But just like in the imaginary scenario, the victims of this blaze were bandits who terrorized the nearby villages. So did they deserve to be mourned, after they themselves had taken lives without remorse? Grima had never once thought of such matters himself, seeing as he was the one who took lives in the same manner back then. Now, however…

"Curse… the world…" a raspy voice cries out.

He turns to the young child sprawled on the floor, their legs trapped underneath the rubble. Grima winces when they reach out to him. "I will avenge them," they weakly declare, "all of them. My family… my home…"

The Fell Dragon steels his fortitude and squats down to see the child's face. When the wind pushes aside their platinum-blonde hair, he sees the face of a young girl. "Hey kid," he says with a somber tone, "your so-called 'family' were a bunch of bandits who stole the lives of other people. You realize that there are kids who went through the same situation you're going through because of them, right?"

With her teeth grit hard, the child curls her hand into a tight fist. The fires that reflect in her hazel eyes burn fierce with revenge. "I will… avenge them! All of them!"

Grima's chest tightens. "Do you even know who caused this devastation? Maybe it was one of the villagers that your family wronged. Maybe it was one of your own people who sabotaged this place. Maybe it was one of those orphans who decided to avenge their own families. What makes you think that you deserve to overturn the wrongs committed against you, when your family wronged against many others?"

"I… will…!"

The girl could not have been more than seven years old, yet already she has suffered a mental breakdown that she wasn't even conscious of. Pitiful. Grima scoffs in annoyance before turning away. This tragedy doesn't pertain to him in the slightest, he just happened to come across it, so it was in his best interest to simply leave. Yet, when he sees the fires slowly dying in the camp, he could not help but to think of the flames which razed Ylisse during his lifetime, of the families whose ashes scattered in the wind when they died out. Once again, Grima looks at the child.

_Naga…. You told me not to interfere, _he thinks to himself, _and instead allow mankind to sort out the issues as they come. But when faced with a situation like this, what would you do? Stand aside as you were, like what a "god" does?_

Memories of the dusty labyrinth resurface in his mind. Memories of the masked living corpses standing guard around every corner, of the inuman monstrosities flying about aimlessly… of the broken creator, Forneus, and his desperate pursuit to break the most sacred taboo imposed on the world.

To surpass death itself.

If one were to view it differently, they could interpret it as "surpassing fate itself."

… That was what the Shepherds fought for, no? That was the very ideal that Grima lost to. The very same ideal from which Grima was created by.

So what WAS Grima's reason for living?

His hands curl into tight fists.

Grima walks back and picks up the rubble trapping the child, carelessly throwing the debris aside. With a gentle touch, he lifts the child into his arms, and once again makes his way out of the burning camp.

_Naga, perhaps the role of a god entails that you must force yourself to stay detached, even if your heart seeks for another answer. However, unlike you, I am no god. In fact, from the very start my entire existence was made to break the shackles of fate._

_As the wings of despair and as the breath of ruin. As the Fell Dragon, Grima, I will oppose this child's fate and do what I see fit. _

The fires soon die out, leaving behind the charred soil of the land. Perhaps one day, if the world sees fit to allow it, the flowers can bloom here once more.

High in the sky, the Divine Dragon watches on. Through the tears in her eyes, she lovingly smiles at the one she adores most.

* * *

"Ngh…"

The girl slowly opens her eyes to the beam of sunlight shining down on her. She slowly surveys her surroundings. Finding herself in a comfortable bed was one thing. Not being surrounded by the fires eating up her family was another.

She hesitantly shuffles underneath the soft blanket, but as she moves her legs send a tinge of pain throughout her body. As she reaches to move the blanket away, a hand intercepts hers and grabs it to prevent her.

"I would advise against that," Grima says to her, "you won't enjoy the sight. Until it has fully healed, you're confined here, and I won't allow you to look at the wound. Be grateful that I'm wasting my magic to heal an unworthy mongrel such as you!"

He smirks with confidence and spreads his arms wide. "Gaze upon this homely cottage of mine, a modest home hidden deep in the Divine Dragon Grounds. Note the simple interior, paired together with an equally simple exterior which you will soon see! Bask in its glory, relish the once-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy such a simple respite!"

"..."

Were her eyes any more dull, surely she would be nothing short of an empty husk drained of life. Yet Grima could still see the bloodlust within them. The burning thirst for revenge seething deep inside.

It was as if he was looking in a mirror. One that reflected his own past.

He sat down in the seat next to the bed. "Look, you-"

"You were right," she interrupts, "I don't deserve to feel angry. I don't deserve to want revenge. My parents and everyone else ruined the lives of countless other families. What right do I have…?"

The young girl looks down at her hands. Perhaps she was envisioning the charred remains of her parents blanketing her palm. Perhaps she was envisioning the blood she could have spilled in their name. Perhaps she was watching herself quiver in fear. Grima sighs. He stands up from his seat and reaches out to her again. This time, he flicks her forehead with his finger in a rather harsh manner. She lets out a yelp of pain before grasping it tightly.

"Don't put words in my mouth, runt. Did I ever once tell you that you lacked the right?" he asks her, his tone slightly frustrated. The girl tilts her head in confusion.

"You have all the right to do whatever you want. Everyone has that right. But everyone forgets that they have responsibilities, and those take precedence over what you have a right to. That's why…"

Grima leans forward to meet her at eye level.

"Your responsibility is to bear the weight of the sins your clan committed. You have to live on in light of the pain and guilt you feel within your heart. Live on until you can finally let go of the past for the sake of the future. And once you do that, you get to choose what you want to do, because that's your right."

"..."

He wasn't sure if he was mistaken, but he thought he had seen her eyes shimmer once again.

* * *

Naga quietly enters the small cottage. Carefully, she walks to the dining table, settling herself down in one of the seats. She holds up a finger to her cheek, contemplating what kind of food a child would enjoy best. Most children dislike the bitter taste of tea, so that was out of the question. And while she wanted to give them the sweets she usually indulges in, she's afraid that they might be too sweet and unhealthy for a child. She couldn't pick something too tough in texture, like steak, but she also couldn't make it too soft, or else it can't properly hold shape.

Maybe a child would like to experience an extravagant meal? Something befitting a noble? But maybe that will end up being more off putting. Yet, no one wants to be treated like a child. Not even children do.

This is the first time the Divine Dragon has ever found herself making food for someone other than Grima and herself. Naga was excited, but much more nervous than she thought she would be.

"Still," she whispers to herself, "what would be best to serve…?"

"Pancakes," a voice softly calls out, "my niece once told me that everyone likes pancakes. She especially enjoys Blueberry Pancakes."

Grima walks out of the adjacent bedroom and approaches Naga. He uncharacteristically throws his arms over her shoulders from behind, catching her by surprise. His exhaustion finally caught up to him as he leans his chin atop her head. "Kids, I swear."

He lets out a sigh. "They act too adult-like for their own good."

Naga tries to suppress herself from blushing. She reaches out to grab his arms, wrapping them around herself. "Children are wonderful beings, Grima. When they are happy, they show it. When they are angry, they show it. When they no longer know how they feel, they still try to show it."

"Sounds pathetic," he quickly retorts.

"Naturally you would think that. After all, much like a child, the only way in which you know how to express yourself is by shouting that you are the Fell Dragon, no?"

"..."

She chuckles. "Come now, Grima, it was in jest!"

"..."

His fingers slowly interweave with hers. Naga looks up to see his downcast gaze.

"I wonder," he asks with a hushed voice, "was my choice justified? Did I make the right choice in saving her that night? I just can't tell. Now that she's here, what will she do after she recovers? Where will she go? How will she live?"

Grima bends his head over her shoulder, burying his eyes in her neck. "It's only after defying your words that I realize the levity of my actions. But when I saw the fire, the carnage and destruction, something within me couldn't…"

He tries to finish his thoughts, but his voice wavers as he does, soon leaving an empty silence in the air. Lost in his own mind, his fingers slowly loosen their grip on hers. Naga smiles. She had seen this sight before. The sight of a man unsure of himself and his own existence. The sight of a man who wanted to shun his own existence. The sight of Grima, years ago when he first revealed himself to her after his death. So instead of replying with another cheeky remark, she gently cups his face with her hand.

"Never regret saving her. You saved her life, Grima. You saved the life of a living human being. Whether it was or was not the right choice does not matter. The Fell Dragon of the past would never have done this, no? Neither would the Fell Dragon of the ruined future. You have successfully defied both your past and future. You are moving forward."

He turns to see her kind eyes, the same eyes that had saved him all those years ago.

"Carry hope in your heart and walk forward. This time, you will no longer walk alone."

"Naga…"

"And do not fret for her! She will be fine. The orphanages in Ylisstol would be a suitable environment for her to live in. Or, if you would prefer, we can attempt to persuade Robin in employing her as a servant. I am confident that she would look past her doubts in you for her sake."

"I suppose," he hesitantly responds. Grima pushes himself off of her, then sits down in the seat next to hers. "I'm still unsure."

Naga contemplates on what they could do, until she giggles to herself. "What if we were to become her foster parents and care for her ourselves?"

"Excuse me?"

"We can serve as her father and mother figures, like a real family… Oh, no, nevermind," she dejectedly says while letting go of his hands. "I have no right to meddle in the affairs of humanity in the first place."

In her mind, she knew that the suggestion was stupid. Grima would never agree to such a thing. And while the idea appealed to her, she knew that as a god, she lacked the right to-

"Only if she agrees."

"Pardon?"

Grima takes her hand into his once again. "If she agrees to it, then we'll be her family. We'll be her mother and father, like a married couple."

"Grima, do you really-"

"S-So what I'm t-trying to say is… d-damn me," he stammers as he hides his face, "let's just get started on those pancakes, d… Dar…"

He slowly turns to her, still avoiding eye-contact.

"... Darling."

"Grima…"

She giggles once again. "You do realize that not all couples have to refer to each other in that way, yes?"

"What?! But," he argues as his face turns red, "my vessel calls Chrom by various names all the time! Ugh, damn it, now I look like such a fool-"

Naga quickly interrupts his train of thought by leaning in and kissing his cheek. He froze on the spot as his mind is overwhelmed with the warmth of her lips.

"You suggested blueberry pancakes, yes? Allow me to do the cooking… my darling."

* * *

_**Sorry for such a long wait, I had to take a break from writing. I won't bother you with the details! Thank you once again for the support. I'm excited to write for you all once again.**_

_**Want to make new friends to share fanfics with and to enjoy writing with? Check out the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at /9XG3U7a**_


	5. Strawberry Cookie Crumb Parfait

"Hey there little lady! Enjoying the day with your boyfriend over there?" a gruff man calls out.

"My boyfriend? No sir, we are…"

Naga clasps her hands together in glee. "We are a married couple!"

Grima nearly chokes on his cake pop.

"Oh, pardon me, my mistake!" he cheerfully says. "Say, would you and your husband like to buy my wife's parfaits?"

"Parfaits?" Naga questions, "I have not heard of such a treat."

"Wha? What kinda rock have YOU two been livin' under not to know what a parfait is?" The man heartily laughs, as Naga blushes in embarrassment.

Her knowledge on treats and desserts are limited to her vessels knowledge, and since it was nearly two millennia ago when she last switched vessels, no one could necessarily blame her for not knowing about parfaits. Especially since she spent the majority of her lives forging divine weapons and sleeping in a cave. Now that she thinks about it, she only started indulging in desserts because of Grima. She turns to him, watching as he chugs water to free his throat. His distress really shouldn't make her smile, but it does anyway. Nearly anything he did made her happy.

…_I really do adore him_.

"Hmm… let's see…" the man says aloud. He raises his hand to his chin contemplatively, before snapping his fingers with a smile. "How bout a freebie?" He grabs one of the parfaits sitting on his stall and inserts two thin wooden sticks into it before handing it to Naga. "Made with the finest, the sweetest, the most delectable yogurt developed by the castle's mages!"

"Yo… gurt?" Naga asks. She tries to recall any memories of this "yogurt," but nothing comes to mind.

"Feast yer eyes on the layers separated by strawberries and cookie crumbs! My wife has been workin' on these beauts real hard, and I'm sure she'd be mighty pleased for her parfaits to be someone's first!"

"Strawberries, you say? Hmm…" _Grima would love that,_ she thinks to herself, _strawberries are like juicy raspberries. Tart, yet sweet._

"I certainly do wish to try it…" Naga reaches out to caress Grima's cheek with her finger. "Darling, would you please allow me to take this so-called parfait?"

It was only mere seconds ago that his face turned blue from choking on his food. Now he finds his cheeks flaring up into maddening shades of red just from being called darling. "Y-You don't need my permission!" he quickly spits out. She chuckles, a smug yet flirtatious grin emerging on her lips as she grabs the straw bowl from the man.

"Don't bite down too hard on the sticks," he warns, "they're only meant to scoop up the yogurt! And you can dispose of that bowl yerself."

"Many thanks, kind sir!"

Naga excitedly uses the stick to scoop up the parfait as she walks away. Grima sighs as he reaches for his pocket, pulling out a single gold coin and flicking it onto the vendor's table. Without bothering to say anything, he walks away to catch up to Naga.

The gruff man smiles. _Lovely couple_, he thinks to himself, _but… the gold coin is too much!_

Suddenly, an entire crowd of citizens form around his stall! Some completely abandoned the stalls that they were first purchasing from, others completely interrupting the purchases that they were in the middle of making. Each one carried pouches of coins clinking against each other, their jingling sound resounding in the air. The man grins as he sees all the potential cash he can rake, then calls out to his wife to make more as fast as she possibly could.

Grima's eyes widen as he walks away. "Hey," he whispers to Naga, "did you do that? _How_ did you do that? _Why _can you do that?!"

She mischievously smiles, "All women have their secrets, darling. Just think of it as my payment for his kindness. Oh, silly me, you have yet to try this delicious treat!"

Naga stops in her tracks. She pierces one of the strawberries with the stick, then dips it deeper into the parfait. It becomes coated with the yogurt and cookie crumbs as she pulls it out. Feeling satisfied about her little all-in-one package, she gingerly offers it to Grima. "Say 'ah'..."

He hesitantly closes his eyes as he bites down on the strawberry. The creamy texture mixed with the chewy strawberry melting within his mouth lit his tongue in a state of pure euphoria. Grima savors every morsel of it before swallowing, trying his absolute hardest to hold back a mewl of delight. _Truly, this world is beautiful! _

"Darling, you can be so clumsy." Naga raises her finger up and reaches for Grima's face. She tenderly wipes his lips, pushing away the yogurt coating them. "Be more mindful of yourself," she whispers in his ear.

She licked the yogurt off her finger, making his heart beat faster and faster.

"Here, have the rest. I can see that you love it." Another smile unfurls on Naga's lips as she hands the bowl to Grima.

"... Thanks… d-darling," he reluctantly replies.

Today was a special day. Today was a newly implemented festival sponsored by the Exalt himself, showcasing food from all over the continent. Anyone could participate if they found a place for themselves, but that was actually much easier said than done. Most stalls were occupied by native Ylissean vendors who usually set up their shops right outside of their homes. Aside from them, many Plegians have found their own space to sell their delicacies, often even renting out spaces from other Ylissean. Feroxi chefs have seen fit to try and do the same in order to show the world their "food fit for a true warrior." Aside from them, you can see few people from Valm, mainly those from Chon'sin and Rosanne.

So right now, Ylisse was acting as a hot pot of food, representing the neighboring continents. The politicians and nobles will claim that this is their shared idea for representing goodwill between the continents. The Exalt will claim that this is an idea he created in order to appease the general public. His wife will claim that this was an idea she proposed after their wonderful daughter mentioned that she would like to taste food from all over the world.

Grima will claim that this was all his idea. And little Lucina can validate that. The last time he visited her (in secret, naturally), he made sure to toss that idea her way just to see what would happen.

In truth, he did not expect something of _this_ magnitude. He more or less imagined that Robin would take her daughter on a short voyage to Valm at the most, and a short trip to Plegia at the least. Either way, it would give Grima the best excuse to take Naga out somewhere, instead of having to admit he wanted to spend a day out with her again.

The festival happened to make it even more of a reason for the two to go out and enjoy a special day together, so in the end, it still managed to work in his favor. This event even gave them legitimate reason to interact with humans for once, although they still needed to be discreet. Naga went through the effort of changing her hair color using her magic, and even wore a sundress just for today. Grima didn't bother to do much, instead simply ditching the Hierophant robe he regularly wore.

Unfortunately, their physical looks still drew the eyes of many. It was, however, to be expected.

"It's uncle!" a shrill, familiar voice cries out. Before Grima could react, he is fiercely tackled from behind, collapsing to the floor as a result. Once collapsed, he feels a child crawling on top of his back up to his head. "Hi uncle Grima!" she exclaims as Naga lifts her off of him.

"S-Strong… like your… haaaah… f-father!" he wheezes, "and joyf… joyful like your mother!"

Grima stumbles as he tries to stand up. Once stable, he pats Lucina's head as the little girl gleefully reaches out to him. Naga smiles as she bounces Lucina up and down on her arms.

"Oh gods," another voice disdainfully cries out, "she called him 'uncle'! She already views him as family!"

A masked swordsman approaches the three of them. Lucina pouts as she turns her head away, hiding her face behind Naga's arm.

"Greetings, Lord Marth," the Divine Dragon greets politely, "a lovely day, is it not? I must say, this festival has been simply divine. Please give my regards to the Exalt for hosting such an auspicious event."

Neither of the dragons could see the blush forming underneath the mask, but it was there.

"Y-Your Grace, I will be sure to relay the message," she stammers. Grima ignores her, scoops out some of the parfait, and offers it to Lucina.

"Want some? It's really good."

"Yes, please!" she delightfully says.

"Lucina," Marth scolds, "how many times have your mother and I warned you about this man?"

"Bleh!"

She stuck her tongue out at her. Grima and Naga gasp in surprise.

"Young lady! That is disrespectful! Come to me this _instant_!"

"No!" the girl argues, "I wanna spend time with uncle and auntie!"

The two of them start arguing, both becoming more and more childish by the second. Grima lets out another sigh. _This is the woman who launches Falchion at me at every possible moment._

But while they continue arguing, a piercing screech steals their attention.

"Somebody help," they cry out, "a ruffian stole our money!"

And from the direction of the voice, an armed rogue dashes by, shoving aside all those in her path. She grins to herself while examining the large pouch grasped in her hands. Marth quickly reaches for her Rapier as the culprit approaches, however, they skillfully throw a dagger right for her hand, successfully hitting it and injuring her. Lucina whimpers as they get closer, hiding her face behind Naga. Naga, in turn, holds the girl tightly. Before Grima could do anything, the thief successfully pushes past Naga, shoving her aside and causing her to fall to the floor.

"Ah!"

She slightly slides against the floor. The jagged cobblestone gashes her shoulder, causing it to bleed.

"Sorry lady," the thief cackles, "but yer' just in the way!"

In that very moment, Grima snaps.

As she snorts in laughter, she fails to notice Grima teleport in front of her. The thief slams into him, reeling back and falling down. "Oi, what gives?!" she complains while looking up.

"Ah, I get'cha. Tryna play hero, eh?! Lemme guess, yer gonna-"

Before she could say another word, the world went dark.

Her eyes widen in fear. Her temperature drops to a drastic level. Her entire body seizes up into a state of paralysis. Grima coyly smirks, watching in amusement as her feeble lips barely manage to tremble and quiver.

The bystanders murmur amongst one another. What was that thief doing? She was being brash and boastful mere moments ago. Why is she suddenly acting as if she had seen the Fell Dragon descending on her at that very moment?

It's actually because that's exactly what she was seeing.

The wriggling wings.

The sharpened horns of a devil.

The vicious, monstrous head of a beast.

Three pairs of eyes whose bloody tears slowly drip, drip, drip.

Rows of sharpened teeth aligned one by one, like a sea of knives coated by overflowing saliva.

"_Oh? Whatever could be the matter?_" he maliciously leers, "_Continue, do not mind me! What were you going to suggest?_"

The Fell Dragon opens his maw.

"_**Give me some ideas.**_"

She shrieks out in abject horror.

Desperate, the thief crawls away, bawling like an infant. For a brief moment, she saw the light, a pathway out of the darkness that surrounded her. But as her twisted expression gave way to a hysterical smile, the light was extinguished. In front of her once again was the Fell Dragon.

"_Hmm. I would tell you that running away was futile. But really, it WAS your best choice._"

"No… no! Please, 'ave mercy!"

Grima roars with laughter, shaking the very ground around her.

"_I am the wings of despair. I am the breath of ruin! I am the Fell Dragon, Grima. Now…_"

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"_**Expiration!**_"

* * *

Ylissean soldiers take away the unconscious thief on a stretcher. Priests and priestesses stationed alongside them find themselves confused on why their staves fail to bring her out of her coma.

Coma wasn't even the right word. Her body was convulsing and she was frothing at the mouth.

"... So yeah! She'll be like that for a day or so. Don't worry, it isn't life threatening or anything. It's just a bad nightmare!" Grima candidly explains to the soldiers.

Robin viciously slams her Thoron tome aganist Grima's head. As he groans in pain, she sheepishly twirls her hair.

"I'll admit, you captured her in an efficient manner, so I suppose I must thank you this time. But the next time you do this, Lucina better not be there to see it! I'd rather you not influence her."

The young princess terrorizes a bug on the water fountain's edge with a small wooden dagger. "Hehe, give me some ideas!" she growls.

"Oh, great, look at what you've done!" Robin complains. Grima shrugs, lacking anything he could say in his defense.

Once again, Robin uses her tome to brutally attack Grima.

At Ylisstol's central fountain, Marth applies a vulnerary onto Naga's shoulder. The slimy mixture stings the wound, but manages to cleanse it thoroughly and halt the bleeding. She sighs as she applies pressure on it. "I apologize, Lady Naga. This would not have happened had I been more alert."

Naga dismisses her apology with a kind smile. "You are not at fault here. I am content knowing that the criminal is apprehended. Not only that, I was able to protect the little you. That brings me more joy than the wound could inflict me pain."

"Right… still…"

Marth turns towards Grima, watching as her mother ruthlessly beats him. "Lady Naga, do you truly believe in that… that…"

She sighs. Whether she wants to admit it or not, Grima was the one who stopped the thief from causing any more trouble. He could have just stood aside and allowed her to run off, but he instead chose to stop her. But Marth couldn't understand _why_. Why bother using his powers against some common criminal? It sounded like a waste of effort, like it should have been beneath-

"I believe in him."

Naga casts her adoring gaze towards Grima. "I believe that anything can change. Was that not what you fought for yourself, Lucina? Was that not the ideal that you changed the future for?"

The swordsman felt guilt slowly dripping down her spine. Yes, that _was_ what she fought for. But she fought for it _because_ of Grima. It was a confounding contradiction between her beliefs and her emotions. Yet, Chrom could believe in the Fell Dragon. And as much as Robin would never want to say it outloud, she also believes in him.

And… the younger Lucina believes in him.

Marth lets out another disgruntled sigh. "I should probably check on Lucina and make sure she's not injured as well. If you'll excuse me, Lady Naga." As she walks away, Naga rubs her shoulder again, grimacing through the pain.

"Gods, that woman will be the death of me!"

Grima carelessly flumps down next to her while rubbing the back of his head. "What kinda madman attacks the one who saved the day?!" he gripes.

"Hmm… the kind of madman who proposed burning a bandit camp to solve an issue, perhaps?"

"Hey. You shut-"

His eyes fall upon her injury. "Is it bad?"

"The bleeding has stopped. However, the pain persists. If I may be honest, I am not used to physical harm. I did not want to risk our cover, so I chose to inhibit my magic even if it meant allowing this to occur. Still, it brings me shame." Naga dryly chuckles. "I must look a pathetic fool in your eyes."

Grima swiftly pulls her arm towards him. Before she could react, he kisses her injury, tenderly pressing his lips down. Naga shudders at the warm feeling, blushing in embarrassment.

"My niece tells me that kisses make the pain go away," he explains. His voice dips into a deep, dulcet tone that made her very heart melt. Grima continues to kiss the wound, completely disregarding the gasps that came out from Naga.

"G-Grima, wait-"

"You aren't as sweet as the parfait," he notes, "but you're enticing all the same…"

When he finally pulls away from her, their eyes lock together, passion practically oozing from their gazes. A few seconds pass before Grima's eyes widen in realization of what he had just done. He releases his grip on her arm before quickly shuffling away, but before he could get too far, Naga grabs him by the collar and pulls him closer. Her eyes twinkle as she looks at Grima's lips. His words echo in her head.

_You're enticing all the same._

"Hey, what are you-"

_You're enticing._

"H-Hold on!"

_Enticing, enticing, enticing-_

"Lucina, don't watch them!" a flustered Marth says to her. The little girl blushes and shields her eyes with her fingers, but she parts them slightly, unable to contain her curiosity.

* * *

_**I had a lot of fun with this chapter! So I hope you all had fun reading it.**_

_**Want to make new friends to share fanfics with and to enjoy writing with? Check out the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at /9XG3U7a**_


	6. Cherry Turnovers

_I opened my eyes… and all I could see was darkness._

It was born in a tiny flask filled to the brim with an unholy concoction of human fluids, effete herbs and the blood of a divine dragon. From the beginning, its very life was an abomination to the world. Beginning as a mangle of flesh and blood resembling that of a human fetus, only to evolve further as a disgusting, insect-like best. Truly, it was nothing more than a blight on humanity's pathetic attempts at breaking the natural taboos placed against them. Nothing more than one man's desperate endeavor at turning back the flow of time.

Nothing more than a creature that defied life itself.

In that dark, dusty labyrinth filled to the brim with putrid, walking corpses and monstrous creations, it lingered in that flask for days. Those days turned to weeks. Those weeks turned to months. And as the months passed by it continued to nourish itself through the blood of its own creator. Eventually, after eighty days, it no longer looked like a human fetus. A tail had grown, and its head had deformed into a shape unlike any beast, much less any dragon its creator had seen so far. After three pairs of eyes had formed, its mind soon started to decay and corrupt, a phenomenon historians would remember as Degeneration. It had only been eighty days, and yet this pathetic mite was already nearing the verge of insanity.

Its downfall came when it had accidentally linked its mind to his creator.

The violent thoughts poured out, but they weren't the thoughts it wanted to think about. Its mind couldn't even fathom the chaotic whispers that echo in its heart. Yet despite the desperate desires to suppress it, its mind was overwhelmed.

That was the final step towards despair.

The creator attempts to kill it, but its powers flood out at the last possible moment.

Then the fires swallow the-

floor breaks away, falling deep-

collapses further below, diving into-

the fang of the divine dragon-

"Celica! Look ou-"

"-our chance, Alm!"

through its head and his hea-

dread, despair, ruin-

no breath, no air, no light, no care-

And the little dragon died.

_Fa… fath...?_

I am… the wings of despair. I am… the breath of-

_Father? Wa… ple…_

The… The Fell Dragon. The… the Fell Dragon? Despair, dread, ruination, dread, ruination, despair, dread, despair, dread, ruination, despair-

* * *

"AUGH!"

Grima quickly jerks up from his slumber, panting heavily. His eyes tremble as they struggle to stabilize. Beads of sweat drip off his brow with each deep breath he takes.

"Father," a voice whimpers, "are you alright?

He turns to see a white-haired girl sitting near his bed, her eyes full of worry. "Y-You," he stammers, "you're, you're... "

The girl he had saved from the burning bandit camp. _What was her name again? R… Re…_

"Reflet," she softly answers, "do you recognize me?"

"Yes… Yes, I…"

Grima's mind steadies, calming him down. He reaches his hand out to pet Reflet's head. "Of course I do. Do not insult my memory, runt."

"I-I'm sorry, father. I didn't mean to insult you," she says, her downcast eyes slightly trembling. She was afraid of having made him angry, he could tell. Grima sighs. He lifts her chin up to meet her at eye level.

"Don't apologize, you didn't do anything wrong. I should be apologizing to you. Naga and I came home late last night. You must have been awful lonely yesterday."

She shakes her head in opposition. "It's okay. My legs were still recovering, I would have only been a hindrance to you and mother had I accompanied-"

"Alright enough of that," he berates, "we did not leave you behind because we thought you would be a hindrance. And you can quit it with that formal talk when you're with me. Save it for your mother."

Reflet's stoic expression remains, but Grima sees the way her eyes light up again. "U-Uhm," she stammers, "breakfast is ready… dad!"

With a giddy warmth bursting from her heart, she enthusiastically gets up from her chair. Carefully, Reflet limps her way across the room to the stairs by propping herself against the wall. Grima's heart wrenches as he watches. She had already pushed herself the moment she had awoken just to come wake him up.

_Even now… I inconvenience those close to me… damn it all._

The scenes from his nightmare flash through his mind.

"I hate sleeping."

* * *

The sweet scent of cherry juices fill the air. Reflet trudges through the door with excitement pushing her forward. Naga's blueberry pancakes from the other day were unlike anything her former parents had ever made for her. In the past, she had to tear through animal meat that was shoddily roasted over a fireplace, or she would have to endanger herself by eating unknown berries when food was scarce. Even when the other bandits had successfully raided and pillaged enough gold to last a lifetime, they were far too prideful to actually spend any of it. And the tribe was rather cutthroat altogether. Reflet and her family still had to provide for themselves.

… Their deaths had only been a few days ago. Sometimes, Reflet felt guilty about the very fact that she was alive. Did she deserve it? Did she deserve to escape that blaze and end up in a cozy life like this? It tore at her heart in ways she abhorred. But whenever she started to feel that way, she would think back to what her new father had told her.

"_You have to live on in light of the pain and guilt you feel within your heart. Live on until you can finally let go of the past for the sake of the future."_

She holds back a smile. Reflet had noticed she always smiles whenever she thinks about that.

Her foot enters the dining room as she cautiously limps over to the table. Naga smiles as she notices her entrance. "Thank you for waking him, dear Reflet."

"You're welcome, mother."

"You must have struggled, I apologize."

"It was okay. I was taught to not just wait for an injury to recover. Besides, you had to look after your food."

The divine dragon chuckles. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Reflet. Speaking of which," she bends over and peers into the stone oven. Feeling satisfied about what was inside, she uses her powers to cool the burning coal underneath so she could take out a tray of her new, fresh delicacy. She carries it to the table as Reflet takes in the wondrous scent filling in the air.

Naga places the tray in front of her, proudly presenting what seemed to be dough pastries filled with cherry jam oozing out of the dough. "These are known as Cherry Turnovers," she explains, "I do hope you will enjoy them!"

Reflet gently blows cool air on one before picking it up. Once she feels satisfied, she grabs one and takes a sizable bite out of it. The delicate tinge of sweetness overflowing from the jam dances across her tongue. She squeals with joy as she chews, causing Naga's heart to feel warm. Reflet swallows it down and looks at her with sparkling eyes.

"Your food is the best, mother!"

Naga's cheeks flush red. The child was much too pure! She could hardly believe that this was the same young girl who once talked about taking revenge for herself.

The young girl's elated expression made Naga excited to see how Grima would react to it. She set aside a single turnover for him while she watches Reflet consume the rest for herself.

"Mother, can I go outside? I want to walk around the cottage," she politely requests.

"Of course," Naga quickly allows, "but you must not stray too far."

She stuffs the last turnover in her mouth, stands up from her seat and limps towards the faucet to wash her hands. When she finishes, Reflet makes her way towards the door, picking up the wooden crutch next to it. "Thank you for the food," she exclaims as she exits the cottage.

Naga sits down at the table and takes a turnover for herself. _A perfect balance between sweetness and tartness, Grima will adore it! Although, perhaps it was not the best decision to make desserts for breakfast-_

"Mornin'."

Grima walks into the dining room and takes a seat next to her. She had the desire to pounce him and hold him close like she did yesterday, but his eyes deter her. Something was wrong with him.

"Ah… good morning," is all she can say in the face of it. Then, she remembers the turnovers. Naga lifts the tray up to him and smiles. "These are known as Cherry Turnovers! I do hope you will enjoy them."

He meagerly pokes at a turnover with one finger, rolling it around before flicking it over. "Shouldn't you be tending to the flock of sheep you refer to as 'humanity' instead of being here?"

The dull, coarse quality to his voice stabs through her heart. "E-Excuse me?" she softly whimpers, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you wasting your time on me?"

"... Excuse me?" Naga growls. Her tone had sharpened, and the way she accentuated each syllable of her words carried a tinge of anger in them.

Grima's gaze falls down to his trembling hands. "Just… why do you waste your time on filth like me?"

Anger wells up inside her, however, Naga suppresses the feeling as best as she could. "It is because I wish to help you change. We have gone over th-"

"What if I can't change?!"

Grima looks down at his trembling hands. "What if I was meant to fall down the abyss time and time again? I don't know how long I can last in this form," he gripes as his hands tighten into fists.

Naga clenches her teeth.

"If I degenerate again—no, _when_ I degenerate again, then will all of this have been for nothing? Will I slip back down and repeat the same mistakes? I don't want to be _me_, Naga," Grima admits, "The powerful _me_. The powerless _me_. The _me_ who was the Fell Dragon, the avatar of destruction and ruin. This life I have is not fit for _me_. I don't deserve to be alive, to be here..."

He looks up at her face again, his eyes slowly losing their luster. "I don't deserve you. "

Naga's contemptful glare pierces through him. "I have always understood that you are a foolish, simpleminded, harebrained individual, much like an immature child," she chides, "but I did not expect you to be a complete imbecile as well."

"Wha-?!" Grima scowls at her with fangs bared. "The hell you mean by that?! And what does that have to do with-"

Before he could finish barking back, Naga pulls him close and kisses him. Grima's thoughts are once again overwhelmed by the warmth of her lips, and her previously icy glare had melted into a passionate gaze. When she releases the kiss, she leans her forehead against his and sighs. Her fingers tremble as she cups his face.

"I will defy whatever fate I must in order to keep you by my side," she softly whimpers, "do you not feel the same?"

"Naga…"

"This fleeting time I have with you… The feeling of joy enveloping my heart whenever I am with you… do you believe those to be pointless? Do you believe that they were a waste of time?"

"No," he denies, "I could never think that way!"

"Then do not ever mention the possibility!" she cries, "For you to think that the time we shared together may have been nothing more than a waste… it makes me feel powerless, Grima. Powerless to keep you. Powerless to make it so that you stay by my side. I…!"

Sunlight shimmers off the tears running down her cheeks. "I love you," she professes, "so much so that I want to be with you for all of eternity. Whether you deserve it or not matters not to me. I love you. I love you. That is all that I care to think of… Look outside that window."

Grima turns to see Reflet walking outside. The determination in her eyes mask the pain in her legs, an act of courage something only Naga and Grima could both recognize.

"You saved that child, and you did it because you wished to deny her fate. You have the strength to defy even the fate of the world, Grima. I… I wish you had the courage to defy your own. I wish you would allow me to be your courage, because you have become mine."

For once, the divine dragon was overwhelmed by her own emotions. The way her body had stiffened at Grima's words, the way her voice shook when she spoke. It hurt him, more than any desperate thought ever could. _She believes in me,_ he thinks to himself, _she always had. Yet here I am, practically mocking the faith she has in me. The faith she has in us._

_If… If she were not there when I first came to my senses… where would I be now?_

The pain in his heart reinforces the guilt, but it was pushed down just as quickly as it had come. Grima pulls Naga into a tight embrace, shifting her hands aside as he holds her close. He buries her eyes into his neck, hoping that she wouldn't have to see his face.

"L-Listen closely," he stammers, "because I'll only s-say this once!"

_Deep breath… Naga, I…_

"I love you."

He could feel her arms wrap around his back.

"I'm just…"

He recalls the frightened vessel he had met in her dreams and the way she cried over the fate forced upon her. He recalls his own vessel, a victim of his desires, and the way she had suffered all her life as a result of being born. He recalls the sight of the girl underneath charred rubble and the blackhearted chaos that possessed her as a result of her fate.

He recalls his dreams, the memories of his early life when all he ever desired was a release from his fate. The way he had been created, the way he had fallen to the depths of darkness and despair. Were Grima still the same person, the same broken dragon pretending to be god, perhaps he wouldn't feel this confliction he felt now. Were he the same abomination pretending to be alive, perhaps he would believe that everyone whose lives revolved around unfortunate destinies and fates couldn't do anything about it. The phrase "Anything can change" would have been empty words, and he might have gone on as the same Fell Dragon he was fated to be.

And even now, Grima is still that person. He can't simply throw away the past, nor can he ignore the future. He can defy it, just as Naga claims he had, but he can't pretend he's someone new. The possibility of becoming that ruthless beast still remained, and his past persists even now as a chain around his ankle.

However, he can still move.

He can move forward, just slowly. He can move away from the future, just carefully.

Niti, Robin, Reflet, and even himself. Those doomed with cruel fates can overturn it.

Perhaps seizing the life they desire IS their fate. That was what Naga taught him when she first took his hand. When she first allowed him to be by her side.

"I'm just scared," he bewails, "I'm scared that everything I do will amount to nothing. But Naga, I don't want you to believe for a second that I'll stop just because of that fear. I-I want…"

_Another deep breath._

How painful was it for the Divine Dragon to realize that the being known as "Naga" would never find a life of their own? That every "Naga" who came before her and would come after her was locked to this arbitrary role as a deity that watched over humanity?

How could he let himself spiral down measly regrets and fears when the love of his life had to struggle with it for far longer than him?

"I want to be with you. Whether it is by your side high in the sky where we could watch the world slowly turn for eternity. Whether it is across from you at a table surrounded by nature's beauty. Whether it is in your arms at the edge of a fountain, or with you in my arms underneath our home… Wherever you go, I want to follow, because I know that you'd follow me wherever I'd go."

The glassy streak staining her cheek mirrors the silver tears falling off of his.

"I will defy whatever fate I must in order to be with you, my love. So forgive me for my moment of weakness."

Naga lifts her head up.

"Will you not falter again?"

She places her forehead against his.

"I can't promise I won't. But there's one thing I know."

And the warm smile on his lips just seems so inviting.

"You make me feel happy. I want to cherish this happiness forever."

* * *

_**Finally got around to saying the girl's name! Hopefully you guys will like this OC, since she helps cement a familial structure for our two dragons. Expect more Naga Grima happy fun times, except with a child!**_

_**Again, thank you all for the support.**_

_**Want to make new friends to share fanfics with and to enjoy writing with? Check out the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at /9XG3U7a**_


	7. Pineapple Tea

Robin downs her seventeenth cup of pineapple tea. She sighs as she signs another document, hardly even bothering to look at it. To the left of her sits the middling stack of unsigned papers, and on her right is the numerous stacks of those papers that she had gotten through tonight. If one were to peruse the stack to her right starting from the top, they would notice how her signature had completely devolved into childish scrawls compared to those near the bottom. Aside from those are the ones lying about on the floor around her. These are the unfortunate ones which were inattentively tossed aside, the poor souls of parchment that deserved a better fate than the one they were given.

Robin downs her eighteenth cup of pineapple tea. She sighs as she looks out the window, eyelids fluttering as she fights against her desire for sleep. Who would have ever guessed that the duties of Ylisse's queen mainly consisted of ratifying laws and approving public projects? Had Maribelle and Ricken not been around to guide Ylisse's legislature to help sort through the admissible documents, Robin was sure that her job would be a lot harder since she would have to figure those out herself. Having Stahl leading public relations with the citizens does wonders for the workload, however the workload still exists nonetheless. So here she was, the ever-hardworking queen just signing the night away.

Robin downs her nineteenth cup of pineapple tea. Miriel was right, these were exceptionally good at keeping her awake.

What time is it now? Was it late at night or early in the morning? Robin turns her head to look at the bed. Her sloppy Exalt of a husband lay in it with arms outstretched, snoring in his sleep and, most likely, drooling through his dreams. She chuckles as she stands up from her chair. Her legs nearly give out as she does so, a natural consequence of sitting in one spot for consecutive hours. Despite that, Robin trudges over to the bed, shedding off her cloak right before she collapses atop of her husband in an equally lackadaisical fashion.

_Who cares what time it is… just give me a few minutes of shut eye…_

…

…

Chrom yawns while rubbing his eyes. He pulls Robin into a hug while stroking her hair. "Wake up dear, it's morning."

_Gods damn it all._

Robin glares at him while he nuzzles her face. He sits up and stretches his arms before leaving the bed entirely. While dressing himself, he notices the stacks of documents on the desk and raises an eyebrow. "Are those _all_ yours?" he inquires. The sleep-deprived wife responds with a despondent grunt. Chrom shifts through a few of the documents. The sight of her terrible signature causes him to laugh until Robin throws one of the pillows at him. He struggles to stifle his laughter as he picks up the stacks she's already completed.

"I'll take this down for you. Go get some breakfast, okay?"

Robin responds with… _some_ noise of affirmation. Chrom chuckles as he opens the door.

"Oh, one more thing," he mentions, "today I'll be out on a trip to Plegia. Seems as if some bandits are interrupting our supply routes, so I need to oversee the situation in order to come up with a good solution. Try not to miss me too much."

Robin responds with… _some_ noise of acknowledgement as Chrom closes the door. She rolls over herself off the bed, allowing herself to fall onto the floor. She did not care. Of course, that wasn't going to magically make all her duties for the day simply disappear. At some point or another, she knows that she has to get up. If not for her responsibilities, then at least for—

"G'morning, mom!"

Lucina rushes into the bedroom and throws herself atop of her mother, knocking the wind out of the overworked woman. She wheezes as her daughter gleefully giggles.

"M-Morning Lucy…" is all she can manage.

The young girl gets off of the bed and grabs her mother's hand. She tugs at Robin's arm, using all her strength to pull the sluggish woman out of bed. Despite lacking the strength to actually do so, she continues unimpeded. "What is it, Lucina?" Robin asks through a yawn.

"Uncle Grima came today, and—"

That was all she needed to hear to wake up.

Robin immediately steps out of bed and grabs the cloak that still lay on the floor. She hurriedly dresses herself, reties her hair, and makes her way down the hall. Lucina trails a few steps behind her, doing her best to keep up with her mother. Soon enough, Robin arrives at the castle's foyer, where she sees Frederick and a few of the other servants surrounding someone, though she can't see just who. She quickly descends down and approaches them. "Alright, that's it," she sternly shouts, "Grima, I don't even want to try and deal with your shi—"

When the circle opens up, Robin bites her tongue and stops herself from finishing. In the center stands a short young girl dressed in a plain dress. She looks up at the angered queen with fear in her eyes as her posture curls in. Frederick sighs as Robin struggles to process who this girl was and what she had to do with Grima. The one to break the silence is Lucina, who makes her way down the stairs and joyfully clings to the mystery girl's arm.

"Look, mom! This is cousin Reflet!" she says with shimmering eyes, "Uncle Grima said that she'll be staying here today!"

"H-Hello, auntie Robin," Reflet politely greets.

Robin's thoughts just nearly reached a conclusion, but Lucina's words felt like a Thoron to the head. Her mind continues to race as she scrambles through years and years of diplomatic experience in order to form a response, ANY response. She turns to Frederick, who notices the bewilderment in her eyes. He clears his throat.

"Grima showed up early this morning with this girl in tow. He claimed that he desperately needed to be somewhere with Lady Naga for the day, and that he could not trust anyone to watch after the girl, save for us," he explains. "Apparently, this Reflet girl is their daughter."

Had Frederick refrained from saying that last tidbit, Robin may have actually managed to reorient herself, but his words felt so incredibly ridiculous that she could have sworn an enemy mage had just cast Mire on her.

_Grima had… with Naga…_

Visible steam emanates from her head. Frederick's eyes widen with alarm. While Robin's mind undergoes its breakdown, Reflet slowly approaches her and politely lowers her head in front of her.

"I-I apologize for being a bother. Please, do not mind me, I'll leave if I must," she says.

Those words bring Robin back to reality. The way Reflet's voice quivered as she spoke somehow resonates with Robin. She looks at Lucina, whose face displays her worry at the thought of abandoning her new cousin. Then she looks at Reflet herself. She squats down to meet the girl's eye level, and sees the stoicism plastered on her face. But her eyes gave away her sadness, and that was enough to convince Robin. Without warning, the older woman lightly flicks the girl's forehead, and smiles at her.

"I'm not turning you away, okay? And you can quit it with that formal talk when you're with me. Save it for Lady Naga."

Reflet's stoic expression remains, but Robin sees the way her eyes light up. Before she can say anything, Lucina pulls on her arm and takes Reflet somewhere else. Robin watches as the two girls run along. Frederick leans his head over to her and whispers, "Do you believe this is the best idea, my lady?"

She simply shrugs. "You tell me. Did Grima truly look desperate to you?" Frederick holds a hand to his chin in contemplation.

"Yes," he answers, "to what degree, I cannot say. But I will say that his expression was similar to the expression he had the day you slayed him. I could never forget that look in his eyes."

"I see…"

Robin giggles to herself. "Gods, the thought of him being a father is just ridiculous. And what kind of name is Reflet? Personally, I would have named her Daraen."

"Er… I don't necessarily see how that's better," Frederick mutters under his breath.

* * *

"Hah!"

Marth stumbles backwards, falling to the ground and dropping her wooden spear. Lucina threateningly points her blade to the masked swords woman's face, and smiles. "I did it!" she says, "I beat big sis!"

"N-No, I was simply holding back for your sake!" Marth argues. The two bicker for some time before returning to their sparring session. Reflet observes them from the side, completely engrossed at the sight of them fighting. She sits at the edge of her tiny stool, her body leaning forward as if it would magically make her closer to the battle. Her eyes dart left and right, following Lucina's every movement and watching. She sees the way the little girl circles around her taller foe. The way she rolls to the side to avoid the thrust of the spear is a beautiful sight to a girl who had only known savagery from brigands.

In actuality, the sparring wasn't as intense as her eyes perceive it as. Marth was genuinely holding back while the smaller girl fumbled around.

Her hands curled into tight fists. Without even realizing it, Reflet had shifted her eyes to the wooden sword laid down a few feet away from her. But as her arm unconsciously reaches out towards it, she quickly retracts it when she sees Frederick come into sight. The knight notices her interest and picks up the sword from the ground.

"If you'd like, you may practice with the training dummy. Provided that I watch, of course," he says while offering the sword to her. A few minutes pass, and Reflet ends up hacking and slashing away at the training dummy. Frederick gives her pointers on how to improve her general movement as he guides her through the basic combat drills. Eventually, Lucina and Marth both join her, and all three girls end up running through combat drills together.

Robin watches. Some strange feeling of satisfaction wells up inside her. It's just something about the platinum blonde girl that makes her feel attached. When Frederick, Marth and Lucina all begin putting their equipment away, Robin sees Reflet still practicing her newly taught movements. But her swings seem too much for her body to handle, and she's overcompensating for the balance she lacks.

It somewhat reminds Robin of herself.

When Reflet falls to her back, Robin rushes over to help the poor girl stand up. "Are you alright?" she asks, "You haven't held a sword before, have you? You need to be careful." Reflet nods her head, and Robin smiles. "That being said, you're pretty good on your feet. And for a kid, you seem pretty sturdy."

"Th-Thank you. I was forced to learn how to use an axe back then," Reflet explains. "The winters can be really harsh on the younger children, so when I was old enough to work, my parents made me help the adults cut firewood." Robin's nods approvingly.

"I see, I see! How impressive that your experience helped shape who you…"

Her eyes widen. "Wait, Reflet, your parents did what?"

Reflet tilts her head to the side, like a confused puppy. "They made me gather firewood?"

"No, no," Robin furrows her brow, "Reflet, how old are you?"

"I'm seven years old."

_Seven?! What, _Robin momentarily reels back from pure shock, _what kind of seven year old is doing work like that?! And she said that she was made to do it at an earlier age? A-And for other children? Harsh winters? Did Grima and Naga both force this young girl to live such a daunting childhood? That's…_

"That's…"

Robin clenches her fists. "That's inexcusable! I can't believe that I fooled myself into thinking Grima had actually changed his ways! And for Lady Naga to not take action… It's just inexcusable!" she suddenly shouts, causing Reflet to flinch. The young girl became frightened by her aunt's outburst. When Robin kneels down and tightly grips Reflet's shoulders, her fears only compounded, worsening the situation.

"Don't you worry Reflet, when he gets here, I'm going to annihilate Grima so hard that no bond of friendship could EVER bring the both of us back to life! How dare he force you to live like that, it's horrible!"

Reflet's own eyes widen in realization. Before the furious queen ran off, she quickly tugged on Robin's arm to stop her. "N-No, wait, please! That was a long time ago, before daddy adopted me!" she yells on the verge of tears. Robin freezes on the spot the moment she hears those words.

_Adopted? But Grima told Frederick that you..._

She turns to the girl. "Reflet, are you not Grima and Naga's child?"

The crying child shakes her head. "N-No," she admits, "But they're still my mommy and daddy! Please don't hurt daddy!"

Reflet's voice breaks into a coarse wail as she drops to the floor and cries.

To think the day had come where she would see someone cry for the Fell Dragon. Something within Robin stirs. An uneasy feeling that she wasn't used to. For once, she was feeling sympathy for Grima.

Sympathy for the one who had her life tied to his. For the one whom her entire existence anchored on for the longest time. For the one who stained her body through and through with his blood. The same Fell Dragon who threatened to kill her friends and family, who threatened to ruin all those she cared for in the same callous way he ruined the lives of countless Ylisseans and Plegians. The same Fell Dragon who tore the future apart and sought to ensure it happened again.

Ever since she woke up on that field a second time, ever since she found herself alive despite her sacrifice, she swore that she would never forgive Grima. No matter what she, he, it acts as now. It was still Grima. The wings of despair, and the breath of ruin. No amount of repentance could change that.

And yet… And yet… A child would cry for that very same beast.

Robin takes a deep breath. At this moment in time, she feels sympathy for Grima, and that is more sobering than she could have ever expected. As gently and as carefully as she can, she pulls the sobbing girl into her arms, and sighs.

"Sorry, Reflet," she whispers, "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Can you forgive me?"

Reflet sniffles and wipes her tears. "Only if you promise not to hurt daddy," she says. Robin tenderly presses her thumbs against the girl's cheeks and wipes away the remaining stains.

"I promise."

* * *

_I mean, what was I thinking? She's only seven years old, the same age as Lucina. It's impossible for Grima and Naga to have conceived her, since it would mean that they would have done so before even the Ylisse-Valm campaign. And they didn't get together until a few years ago, so...  
_

She shudders. The thought of Grima having a child still unnerved her.

Robin downs her twenty fourth cup of pineapple tea. She hisses when the rays of the evening sunset flashes against her eyes through her window. Fortunately for her, Reflet quickly makes her way across the room and closes the curtains, leaving only a small partition for the light to seep through. After making some incomprehensible grunt of thanks, Robin returns her attention to the stacks of documents she has yet to sign. As she hastily gets through them, Reflet wanders all over the expansive library, making sure that she keeps the overworked queen in her sight so as to not get lost.

With a cautious touch, Reflet brushes her fingers against the enormous shelves. Thick, dusty books sit together in tight packs. Some sets of books create a strange wall of art with their spines, while others are plain and simple volumes organized in numerical order. Reflet places her finger atop one of the books, and with a heavy tug, manages to pull out the book without any issue. The cover of the book lacks a title, and the letters on the spine are faded and difficult to read. Reflet opens the book to its first page, where she's immediately assaulted by the large bulk of words printed across the paper. The tiny size of the ink forces her to lean her face closer just to read it, but even then, many of the words are too difficult for her to understand.

"B-Blit… Blitz… kr-kr…"

"Blitzkrieg," she hears from behind her. Robin squats down next to the girl and uses her finger to point to the word, enunciating it and emphasizing pauses in between syllables to make it easier for Reflet to hear. "It refers to a type of strategy in war where an armed force employs a quick yet powerful offense, often resorting to excessively violent, intense and brutal measures."

Reflet tilts her head to the side, having not understood a single thing Robin had just said. This makes the woman dryly chuckle. "Sorry, when it comes to strategy, I tend to explain these types of things with more detail than necessary. Are you interested in strategy?"

"A little. Daddy once said that strategy is important to learn."

_Hah, _Robin giggles to herself, _did he say that because of me?_

"Is your father handling your education?" she asks. Reflet nods. "I see. Hmm," Robin stands up and reaches for a book, opens it, then shows it to the girl, "could you read this passage for me?"

Reflet tries her best to read, but stumbles along the way. When she reaches the end, she blushes in embarrassment, but Robin just grins and ruffles her hair. "He's at least done a good job of teaching you how to read," she admits.

"Um, auntie Robin? Can you teach me how to read this?" asks Reflet.

"Oh, er…" Robin sheepishly rubs the back of her head, "Oh sure, why not? Let's begin with—"

They spend the rest of the afternoon together like this. As time goes on, their small stack of books grew larger and larger, as Robin slowly taught her niece how to improve on her reading.

* * *

"Thank you so much," Grima says to her, "and I'm sorry that I just sent her to you without prior notice."

Robin dismisses his apology with the wave of her hand. "It's fine. She's family."

Hearing that from her makes him smile. And seeing it makes her somewhat flustered. She hadn't ever seen such a genuine smile from him before.

"Daddy!" Reflet yells out from the castle entrance. She starts running towards him, her face beaming with happiness. Grima kneels down on one knee and extends his arms, hugging her when she reaches him.

"Hey there, runt. You okay?" he asks. Reflet nods excitedly.

"Auntie Robin is so smart! She taught me a lot about strategy," she praises. Grima raises an eyebrow and looks towards Robin. The woman simply coughs into her hand and turns away, hiding the small blush on her cheeks. He chuckles to himself and turns back to his daughter.

"Do you like your aunt?" he asks.

"Yes! I love her!" Reflet chirps. Robin coughs more furiously into her hand as if it would somehow ease her embarrassment.

"I see," Grima says contentedly. He looks up, then turns Reflet around and points ahead. "Look, your cousin Lucina is there. Why don't you go say goodbye?"

The girl nods, and runs off to do so. Grima stands back up and watches. He turns to Robin. "Teaching her on my behalf, are you?"

"O-Only because your methods are clearly lacking! I just helped eliminate a few of her reading habits, and introduced better ones," she argues. "Honestly, you should leave her education to me."

When she turns to look at his reaction, she finds herself stunned. Another smile. "If that's the case, would you be willing to oversee her education?" he asks.

"Uh…"

Robin recollects her thoughts and tries to compose herself. "Sure, of course. I mean, I am rather busy as Ylisse's queen, but what's one more child to look after, right?" she jokes.

"If that's the case, then if something were ever to happen to me, would you look after her?"

Once again, she's caught off guard. A strange feeling of fear starts to settle inside her as she stares into Grima's distraught eyes. _What is he talking about_, she thinks to herself, _what kind of event would have to occur for you to even request something like that?_

Robin clenches her hands. "Why is it now, after all these years…"

_That I feel so attached to you?_

She furrows her brow once again and stares at him. "What's going on here, Grima? What did you have to do today that made you so desperate to leave Reflet in my care?" Robin takes a step forward. Grima is shocked when he sees the way her eyes waver. It was the first time in a long while since he had seen her look so uncertain. He sighs.

"I—"

"Daddy? Auntie? Are you two fighting again?"

The two turn to see Reflet's worried face. Grima quickly reaches to pinch her cheeks, squishing them just tightly enough to make her yelp and giggle. "If we were, who would win?" he asks.

"Daddy, of course!" she says. Robin feigns offense, huffing and looking hurt. Reflet giggles as she hides behind Grima's leg. He smirks at Robin before standing up and taking his daughter's hand into his.

"Again, I can't thank you enough for this," he says. Robin nods and watches as the two of them walk away. Her heart aches when she sees the way Grima gazes at the girl. _He genuinely loves her, _she realizes.

Her hands shake.

_I can't forgive you._

Her bottom lip trembles.

_I can't forgive you._

Her throat dries up.

_I can't forgive you._

…

…

…

Robin cups her together and raises it up to her mouth. "Hey!" she shouts out.

Grima turns his head back towards her. His eyes widen when he sees her prideful smile. "I'm setting aside a plate for you at dinner tonight, and I swear to Naga if you don't come, I'll Thoron you to pieces!"

_I can't forgive you. And I don't need to forgive you. You're already trying to move forward, so…_

She smiles to herself. "I should move forward, too."

* * *

_**After a very long hiatus, I've returned with a new chapter! Sorry for the long absence, I found myself struggling to work on fics and I just didn't really feel the drive to write. But, here I am, making sure that I finish this story. I hope you all can enjoy it.**_

_**Want to make new friends to share fanfics with and to enjoy writing with? Check out the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at /9XG3U7a**_


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